Prayer

We have just heard from friends who have had a baby at 23 weeks (scary when you think abortion can happen at that late date. But that is for another blog!) and he has been rushed to special intensive care and of course our reaction is to pray!
But what struck me this morning as I was asking God what to pray was how often as Christians we go for reactive prayer. I know this lovely couple are praying even though they wouldn't say they have a relationship with God, and so often those who aren't quite in that close relationship stuff with God often pray from a reactionary place. But why do we do that as Christians.
I was struck by the thought that maybe because these are our friends we should be open to be praying for them all the time, and maybe, just maybe if we had been then we would've known she had an infection and could've spoken to God about healing that then, rather than praying after the event.
I wonder if this is what "humble themselves and pray" means?
I am now asking God if He will help me to bring me to a place where I am constantly in a place where I am open to His guidance on praying and where I bring my friends into His throne room regularly, rather than either when I am about to meet with them or when they have a crisis.